Select Local Merchants

In the barrel room at Port Gardner Bay Winery, Chris Covington stays vigilant watching over casks of reds and whites with the anticipation and pride of a master winemaker. After learning that his engineering and chemistry knowledge could be put to use fermenting grapes and crafting unique alcoholic nectars, Chris began experimenting with the wine-making process, eventually producing his own wines independently. Today, Chris crafts vintages ranging from cabernet sauvignons and merlots to malbecs and gew?rztraminers, earning him a spot in Evening Magazine's "The Best of Western Washington". In addition to his day-to-day production duties, Chris also hosts frequent events, from tastings featuring live performances from local musicians to wine classes that discuss the wine-making process and dispel rumors that the best way to crush a grape is by breaking its heart.

Helicopters Northwest's squad of certified flight Instructors and commercial pilots mans a fleet of Robinson R22 and R44 helicopters for training sessions and tours. Teachers team up with students for individualized new-pilot preparation or add-on sessions for experienced pilots eager to acquire additional ratings in one of five areas, including private pilot and certified flight Instructor – instrument.
Individuals interested in taste-sampling the skies can stick out their tongues during introductory 30-minute flights and aerial-photography flights, designed for snapping shots of boats in motion or breathtaking scenery below. Said scenery is also accessible via Helicopters Northwest's three Seattle tour packages, which hoist guests 500–1,000 feet in the air for bird's-eye views of cherished Seattle landmarks such as Snoqualmie Falls.

Shawn O'Donnell's Restaurant offers a laid-back atmosphere and tasty American classics.
Gluten-free? Not a problem. Shawn O'Donnell's Restaurant is serving up delicious dishes with and without gluten.
Complement your meal with a beer or wine from Shawn O'Donnell's Restaurant's delightful drink menu.
Youngsters don't need to sit out a trip to Shawn O'Donnell's Restaurant — it's super family-friendly and perfect for little diners and their folks.
Fridays are for fun! Come check out the vibe at Shawn O'Donnell's Restaurant.
Shawn O'Donnell's Restaurant is ready to help you throw the dinner party of your dreams!
Free wireless Internet is also available at Shawn O'Donnell's Restaurant, so bring your tablet or laptop along.
For an eclectic twist on traditional dining, live music is often featured at Shawn O'Donnell's Restaurant as well.
The crowds come out in force on Fridays and Saturdays, so don't neglect to make a reservation ahead of time.
The dress code is strictly casual at Shawn O'Donnell's Restaurant, so come as you are (and as you are comfortable).
That's right! Shawn O'Donnell's Restaurant will bring their delicious food to your house for any occasion.
Getting your food to go is also an option.
The neighboring lot provides free parking to visitors.
Taste the greatness Shawn O'Donnell's Restaurant is serving up with meals around $30.
Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express are all accepted.
Early risers and night owls alike can enjoy Shawn O'Donnell's Restaurant since it offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Quickly ease your appetite at this laid-back American eatery — Tailgater Joe's serves sandwiches, salads and more.
Taste comes first on the menu here, so low-fat chow is a world away.
Beer, wine, and more are also available from Tailgater Joe's' extensive drink list.
Don't miss the happy hour food and drink specials, where a great bargain is always in sight.
Tailgater Joe's will be able to accommodate your large party.
The restaurant hosts a DJ, and visitors can take to the dance floor as well.
Noisy crowds plus raging music creates a very loud environment at this restaurant.
Fridays and Saturdays really bring in the crowds, so make sure there's space for you by calling ahead for a reservation.
The dress code at Tailgater Joe's is as relaxed as the ambience, so wear whatever suits you.
Tailgater Joe's offers multiple street parking options nearby for diners.
Tailgater Joe's offers various parking options, including bike parking.
Your tab at Tailgater Joe's will usually run to about $30 per guest.
Tailgater Joe's happily accepts all major credit cards as a form of payment.
Morning, noon, or night, you can head on over to Tailgater Joe's since they serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Although Hunan Palace embraces the recipes of its namesake region, the chefs also draw inspiration from other culinary traditions throughout China to create their menu. This liberal adoption of inspiration can lead to dishes such as shrimp saut?ed in spicy Szechuan-style sauce appearing on diners' tables alongside mongolian beef with hot peppers and a bed of crispy noodles. As further proof of their dedication to traditional Chinese flavors, the chefs also glaze crispy whole fish with spicy, Hunan-style sauce and roast entire peking ducks, which can be shared by the table.
A handful of tables line the floor of Hunan Palace's carpeted dining room, providing each guest views out the restaurant's plate-glass windows. Small lamps cast a gentle glow throughout the space. Spirits become livelier on Friday and Saturday nights when guests can stop in for karaoke and enjoy a drink from the bar while waiting for a chance to belt their favorite power ballad or deliver their favorite William Jennings Bryan speech.

Like a city street after every nearby car wash has malfunctioned, The Bubble Run welcomes participants to play in light, glistening foam. Runners, walkers, jumpers, and skippers cruise their way through five easygoing, untimed kilometers, each marked with a 6-foot-deep bog brimming with colorful foam and floating bubbles. Bubbleteers armed with foam-slinging cannons ensure that each adventurer receives a healthy dose of bubbles as they pass, running safely thanks to the dry makeup of the foam solution used. Racers clad in white may start clean as a whistle, but by the time they cross the finish line, they’re dyed like a rainbow, finally readying them to sneak up on a leprechaun. Then the fun keeps going—live DJs and bubble cannons amp up afterparties to celebrate runners' efforts. Proceeds from each race benefit local charities.

Groupon Guide

Sample rare brews at the Seattle International Beerfest, BYOP (bring your own pillow) to a Frozen sing-along, and groove to Jack White at Paramount Theater. Later in the week, the Cougars kick off the season against the Scarlet Knights, and Arabica Lounge celebrates chess and damn fine pie with a Twin Peaks–inspired night. Have fun, and as always, check out Groupon for more things to do in Seattle.
Seattle International Beerfest
Lower Queen Anne | Friday, August 22–Sunday, August 24
This three-day festival celebrating rare and hard-to-find beers gathers together 200 brews from 16 countries right beneath the Space Needle. Admission includes 10 beer tickets, a souvenir glass, and reentry all weekend. Live musical acts including The Haggis Brothers and Jukehouse Hounds provide the soundtrack as guests sip 4-ounce pours on the lawn. (Seattle Center Fisher Pavilion; 305 Harrison St.; $25 in advance, $30 at the door; buy tickets here)
Frozen Sing-Along
Northgate | Monday, August 25, 5 p.m.–7:30 p.m.
If didn’t spend your summer belting out “Let It Go” in public, well, better late than never. Bring the whole family for this movie night and sing-along at the Northgate branch of the Seattle Public Library. The library will be providing free ice pops, but pillows (for sitting) are BYO. (10548 5th Ave. NE; free)
Jack White
Downtown | Tuesday, August 26, 7:30 p.m.
The former White Stripes frontman hits the Paramount Theatre on tour to promote his second solo album, Lazaretto, which debuted at No. 100 on the Billboard 200 chart and smashed a two-decade-long record for most vinyl albums sold in a week. Pitchfork reviewer Stephen M. Deusner called the album “the densest, fullest, craziest, and most indulgent that White has sounded.” (911 Pine St.; from $70; also playing on Monday, August 25, at 7 p.m.; buy tickets here)
Washington State vs. Rutgers
SoDo | Thursday, August 28, 7 p.m.
The Cougars go head-to-head with the Scarlet Knights for the 2014 season opener. Doors open at 6 p.m., but those who show up early can enjoy free activities—including kid-friendly inflatables and performances from the WSU marching band—to celebrate kick-off day. (CenturyLink Field; 800 Occidental Ave. S; $15 with Groupon)
Twin Peaks Chess Night
Capitol Hill | Friday, August 29 at 7 p.m.
Once a month, the breakfast and brunch spot Arabica Lounge stays open late to host a Twin Peaks–themed event it bills as “an evening of backwards talking, damn fine drinks, and friendly chess.” Expect TVs screening episodes of the cult-favorite show, plus themed drinks. Oh, and pie. Of course pie. (1550 E Olive Way; no cover)

On this week’s agenda: the Torchlight Parade, Pista sa Nayon festival, and an aquavit workshop at the Swedish Club. Plus, circus performers open a screening of Sixteen Candles and psychedelic bands take over Sunset Tavern. Have fun and as always, check Groupon for even more great things to do in Seattle.
Torchlight Parade
Downtown | Saturday, July 26, 7:30 p.m.
Some might say it isn't officially summer until you've dragged your couch out onto Fourth Avenue and used it to claim your parade viewing spot. And those same people would probably argue that a night of pirates, giant balloons, teddy-bear drill teams, and glow-in-the-dark floats totally beats a night of bar hopping. We completely agree. (Seattle Center/Fourth Avenue; free)
Pista sa Nayon Filipino Festival
Seward Park | Sunday, July 27, 9 a.m.–8 p.m.
Literally translating to “town festival,” Pista sa Nayon celebrates Seattle's Filipino American population with a full day of food, games, crafts, and live entertainment. The fest—which is expected to draw thousands to Seward Park—is in its 24th year in Seattle, but the tradition dates back hundreds of years to a time when rural townfolk would gather to celebrate a fruitful harvest. (5902 Lake Washington Blvd. S; free)
Aquavit Workshop at Swedish Club
Westlake | Tuesday, July 29, 2 p.m.–4 p.m.
If you're not a mixologist or of Scandinavian descent, chances are you don't know much about aquavit, other than that it has a cool name and goes well with lutefisk—whatever that is. This class, presented by Old Ballard Liquor Co., will introduce you to the history, production, and flavor profiles of the Scandinavian spirit (flavored with caraway, by the way) and will include tastings and food pairings—it is a digestif, after all. (Swedish Club, 1920 Dexter Ave. N; $75)
Sixteen Candles at Magnuson Park
Wedgwood | Thursday, July 31, 7 p.m.
Magnuson Park seems intent on making dreams come true this summer. In case the timeless appeal of the John Hughes classic isn't enough for you, the park is pairing its nighttime flicks with food trucks, movie trivia, and live circus performers from The Cabiri. Oh, and your dog can come too.(7400 Sand Point Way NE; $5)
Northwest Psych Fest
Ballard | Friday, August 1, 8 p.m.
Day one of the two-day psychedelic music fest features sets from Crack Sabbath, Fungal Abyss, and frenzied jazz dynamos Diminished Men. Saturday's lineup includes Kinski, Master Musician of Bukkake, and Portland-based bands Rick Bain and the Genius Position and Wooden Indian Burial Ground, among others.(Sunset Tavern, 5433 Ballard Ave. NW; $12; buy tickets here)
Master Musician of Bukkake photo courtesy of Fotografien: A. Klich, R. Schweier, J. Rillich

Fireworks! Parties! Parades! No, it’s not a belated Fourth of July celebration, it’s how the French celebrate Bastille Day every July 14. Show support of our amis across the sea by attending a Bastille Day Party at Le Pichet, or save up all your energy for belting out “Vacation” when The Go-Go’s take the stage at Chateau Ste. Michelle in the middle of the week. And if all that singing and celebrating saps your energy, Skillet has a Golden Girls–themed happy hour to help you recover. As always, check Groupon for more things to do in Seattle.
Bastille Day Party
Downtown | Monday, July 14, 6 p.m.
Raise a glass of champagne and toast French National Day at the French café Le Pichet, where the celebration will include live music from Bric a Brac and The Post Alley Ramblers. We’re thinking the food and drink specials will offer up plenty of opportunities to practice your French food pronunciations. (1933 First Ave.; free)
Brian Herbert
University District | Wednesday, July 16, 7 p.m.
George R.R. Martin may be having a moment, but when it comes to the sci-fi fantasy realm, we hope he remembers one thing: "He who controls the spice, controls the universe.” Brian Herbert—best known for penning the New York Times best-selling prequels to his father’s Dune series—arrives at the U District store to discuss and sign copies of his new sci-fi novel, The Little Green Book of Chairman Rahma. The book centers around a radical environmental-activism group that seizes control of the government to put an end to climate change. No word yet on whether sandworms play any role. (University Book Store, 4326 University Way; free)
The Go-Go’s
Woodinville | Thursday, July 17, 7 p.m.
It’s been 33 years since The Go-Go’s debuted their triple-platinum album Beauty and the Beat, but three decades have done nothing to lessen the popularity, energy, or, dare we say it, sex appeal of the '80s favorite all-female pop-punk band. For their Replay America tour, the band has paired up with Cutting Crew, Naked Eyes, Martha Davis of The Motels, and Patty Smyth of Scandal. (Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery, 14111 NE 145th St., Woodinville; $61+; buy tickets here)
Golden Girls Happy Hour
Central District | Friday, July 18, 3 p.m.–6 p.m. and 10 p.m.–11 p.m.
Dorothy, Rose, Blanche, and Sophia would probably be shocked to discover there’s no cheesecake on the happy-hour menu inspired by their friendship, but after throwing back a couple of $6 Betty Whites (vodka, apricot liqueur, Cocchi Americano Bianco, and prosecco), they’d likely be too drunk to care. The food specials—smoked-lamb corn dogs, egg-topped poutine—don’t seem to logically relate to anything on the show, but then again, none of those St. Olaf stories ever made any sense either. (Skillet Street Food, 1400 E. Union St.)
Seattle Pinball Rally
Ballard | Saturday, July 19, noon to 8 p.m.
Pinball enthusiasts and machine collectors will descend upon the Hilliard’s taproom for the all-ages event, which will also include classic arcade games. Skillet Street Food will provide grub for the event, while the melodic bumps and chimes of the machines will be accompanied by live music from The Crow Quill Night Owls. (1550 NW 49th St.; free)